Media mogul and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), High Chief Raymond Dokpesi has said that the crisis currently bedevilling the party could be traced to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s jettisoning of the power rotational arrangement in place.
Dokpesi spoke in Kano while being interviewed by reporters after receiving former governor of the state, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau back into the party.
He said in the build-up to the 2015 election, he advised Jonathan to jettison his ambition and allow a Northern candidate to run.
Dokpesi said this would have allowed for a candidate from the north to complete the region’s eight years tenure started by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
The PDP chieftain said it was unfortunate that the former president did not heed the advice.
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He said, “In 2015 when President Goodluck Jonathan was angling to contest elections, I personally wrote to him and asked him not to do so, to either go on vacation after completing YarAdua’s tenure or join the incoming government, so that he can come back and complete his full eight years.
“But he was advised otherwise and adhered to that and that is what led to the crises we have today and what also allowed the North to continue producing the President till 2027.
“I have been a member of the PDP from inception, I read and I know every stage of the party activities. Out of the 16 years the PDP rule, the North served only two years, that was why I opposed Jonathan in 2015 when he was running for elections, I told him he should allow the North complete their eight years then he will have his full eight years after resting for a while.
“So it is not true that it is the turn of the South in PDP, what Jonathan did was what brought about the crises which some people are pushing up.
“The truth of the matter is that some of the social media handlers are worried that it is not possible for the North to have the Chairman of the Party, Presidential Candidate and Board of Trustees Chairman and maybe the Campaign DG also from the North.
“Now it is because we are not situating issues at their proper perspective, the truth of the matter is that the PDP has a constitution and it has said that people are elected and rotated on eight years basis.
“So in 2019 that was when the PDP started its rotations, From that year up to 2027, the North is supposed to still present the President under PDP, so there is nothing wrong in Atiku Abubakar’s candidacy and we are not in 2027 yet we are still in 2023.
“We lost the 2015 elections because we didn’t adhere to the rotational Presidency and since then what has changed? nothing.”